Steer Davies Gleave

Steer Davies Gleave
Name	Steer Davies Gleave
Type	Consulting firm
Founded	1978
Founders	Graham Stevens; Roger Steer; John Davies; Paul Gleave
Headquarters	London
Industry	Transport consultancy
Services	Transport planning; Transport economics; Infrastructure appraisal; Policy advice

Steer Davies Gleave is a transport, infrastructure and urban planning consultancy known for advisory work across public and private sectors. The firm has provided strategic planning, economic appraisal and modelling services to authorities, operators and developers, engaging with projects ranging from metropolitan transit schemes to national policy reviews. Its practice intersects with major transport programmes, infrastructure funds and regulatory bodies across Europe, North America, Asia and Australasia.

History

Founded in the late 20th century amid expanding urbanisation and transport investment, the firm emerged alongside contemporaries such as Arup, Ramboll, AECOM and Atkins. Early commissions involved work for authorities like Transport for London, Greater London Council, Metropolitan Transportation Authority and municipal governments in Manchester, Birmingham, Leeds and Bristol. During the 1990s and 2000s it expanded services in response to initiatives including the Channel Tunnel Rail Link, the expansion of Heathrow Airport and regulatory reforms influenced by European Union transport directives. In the 2010s Steer Davies Gleave participated in projects tied to major events and programmes such as the 2012 Summer Olympics, the HS2 debate, and urban renewal schemes promoted by the National Infrastructure Commission and regional development agencies. The firm’s trajectory paralleled consolidation trends affecting firms like WSP Global, Jacobs Engineering Group and SYSTRA through strategic alliances and talent recruitment from academic institutions including Imperial College London and University College London.

Services and Expertise

The consultancy offers interdisciplinary expertise including transport planning, demand forecasting, economic appraisal and feasibility analysis, often collaborating with professional services firms such as KPMG, Deloitte, PwC and EY on complex public–private partnership bids. Its modelling teams use tools consistent with standards from organisations like the Department for Transport (UK), Federal Transit Administration and International Association of Public Transport. Services have encompassed multimodal strategy for railway and light rail operators, airport masterplanning for operators at Gatwick Airport and Manchester Airport, freight logistics studies for ports like Port of Felixstowe and Port of Rotterdam, and active travel planning aligned with policies advocated by Sustrans and urban authorities. The firm provides advisory services on regulatory frameworks for bodies including Office of Rail and Road and Civil Aviation Authority, and offers financial modelling used by infrastructure investors such as International Finance Corporation, European Investment Bank and pension funds.

Major Projects and Case Studies

Casework includes strategic studies for metropolitan transport authorities and operators, scheme business cases for high-profile corridors, and modelling for major transit schemes. Notable engagements mirror projects such as capacity assessments similar to work on Crossrail, appraisal techniques used for Thameslink Programme expansions, and corridor planning akin to studies supporting Crossrail 2 debates. The firm has supported franchise bids and performance reviews for operators in networks comparable to National Rail franchises, and provided corridor optimisation and service planning for commuter systems like S-train networks and suburban rail in cities such as Paris, Madrid and Berlin. It has advised on mobility-as-a-service pilots connected to initiatives by Transport for Greater Manchester and innovative traffic management trials in association with agencies like Transport for New South Wales and Metrolinx.

Geographic Presence

Steer Davies Gleave has maintained an international footprint with offices and project delivery across Europe, North America, Asia-Pacific and the Middle East. Its work portfolio encompasses clients in the United Kingdom, United States, Canada, Australia, Singapore, United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, France, Germany, Spain and Italy. The firm has engaged on urban mobility programmes in metropolises such as London, New York City, Toronto, Sydney, Singapore and Dubai, and on regional infrastructure projects in jurisdictions including Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland and devolved administrations of Catalonia and Bavaria.

Corporate Structure and Leadership

Structured as a private consultancy with leadership drawn from senior practitioners in transport planning, economics and engineering, the firm’s governance has included executive directors and non-executive advisors with backgrounds at institutions like Network Rail, National Highways, Department for Transport (UK), European Commission directorates and academic centres at University of Oxford and London School of Economics. Senior staff have participated in professional bodies including the Chartered Institution of Highways and Transportation, Royal Town Planning Institute, Institution of Civil Engineers and the Institute of Transportation Engineers.

Awards and Recognition

The firm and its teams have received recognition in industry award schemes and conferences run by organisations such as the Chartered Institution of Highways and Transportation, Association for European Transport, International Transport Forum and trade publications like Railway Gazette International and Transport Topics. Projects have been shortlisted for awards celebrating best practice in transport planning, sustainability and innovation, alongside peers honoured by bodies like RICS and the Royal Institute of British Architects.

Category:Consulting firms Category:Transport planning